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Crisis can bring opportunity.
While their ships were detained by the Eslandolan government in February '618, the FTA captains took it upon themselves to find lodging more suitable than the dockside inns. Using the profits they had made in port, they purchased a small estate known locally as Papaver House - after the distinct red flowers cultivated in the garden. Not only did this serve as housing for the captains while the bureaucratic fracas played out, it was also decided it would be a suitable location for a new trade office.
Needing a factor to run the office, the Sirrus' First Mate Edgar Marquez was selected. He had faithfully served under Captain Preston dating back to their days as pirates, but having taken a splinter during a battle this past October had severely hampered his mobility. Rather than cash him out, this gave the former Eslandolan privateer a regular stipend a new purpose. And since Papaver House was opulently appointed (in order to more easiltydeal with the rich merchant class of the town), his life would be one of wealth that he had never would have dreamed of.
==/==/==
This is the second in my series of FTA satellite offices, and in this case I tried to mimic the architectural style of the Brickwall Memorial Park. The style was actually a lot of fun to try out and is very striking in real life. While I am happy overall, the exterior pictures are not great (I hope to redo them later this week), and I only had 11 of the dark tan brick facade pieces; I wish I had more to use as an accent.
And I can't forget to mention that my proud 7 yo did the gardening and was insistent that I mention it.
Some further story below:

Prelude:
... (Eslandola Colonial Council, January 25th 618 AE) ...
A few days later, at dawn:
A Battalion of MAESTRO soldiers marched into the harbour. Under command of General Whitedragon, they boarded the anchored Sea Rat vessels. The Eslandolan soldiers quickly disarmed the Sea Rats without any harm or causalties as the Sea Rats understood they had a disadvantage and the Eslandolans came in peace.
Aboard the Misfortune's Wrath, General Whitedragon summoned a clerk.declaring the Sea Rats vessels to be detained. All Sea Rats are free men, free to roam the pubs in Fuerto Unido, but misbehaving would not be accepted. But they had to stay in Fuerto Unido for the upcoming period.
Asking who was in charge of the Sea Rats fleet, a guy with white cloak and golden skull on his bicorn was appointed as the most important Sea Rat. Little did the Eslandolans know the Sea Rats dressed up a common sailor and appointed him to be in charge. They even called him Captain Whitemouse, to mock with the famous Eslandolan General Whitedragon.
Back in his office, General Whitedragon sent the following letter:
-------------------
A MRCA response. It is now up to the Sea Rats.
The letter could be recognised as an adapted copy of a famous Corrington letter.
The build itself was fun. I wanted to recreate the style some Sea Rats builders are building their vessels and Black Sails was an inspiration as well.

The mysteries connected to the Malto affair had roused many a detective in Terra Nova, and amongst those the renowned Corlander investigator, Herlock Sholmes and his assistant Dr. John Hudson. This had led to a month of investigations and they were now discussing their findings in the office in Miller Street 2b, Arlinsport
"First things first, Sholmes. The very heart of the mystery - the explosion." Dr. Hudson said. "I find myself stumped - who would do such a heinous thing?"
"Elementary, my dear Hudson. Do you remember what the informant in Fuerte Unido told us?"
"Of course - a group of merchants had met with a... contractor believed to be the saboteur... But he could not tell us of what they had spoken." Hudson exclaimed with a raised brow. "But what motive would those traders have? To stifle a competitor?"
"Ach, the WTC hardly represents a threat to the Eslandian TC's." Sholmes interjected. "Remember the Eslandian reaction: It was the perfect excuse for them to send in troops."
"Are you suggesting that Eslandola would cause such a tragedy for mere geopolitical gain?" Hudson protested.
"It was most convienient, was it not? But no, there is no evidence whatsoever for an official act of subterfuge." Sholmes said, shaking his head. "But consider the nationalist zealotry of ambitious individuals, who understood enough to know that the official response would be to march in troops."
"But they would surely have predicted that Bradley's troops would deny them access? I must confess that I am most sceptical, Herlock."
"It is the only explanation that fits the evidence, dr. Hudson, and when you have excluded the impossible, what is left, however implausible, must be the truth!" He said with great conviction. "As to Bradley's reaction, the Eslandians are a sadly pragmatical bunch, very unaccustomed to the firmness of principle typical for Corlanders. I doubt they ever anticipated the insistence of our troops."
"So Eslandians blew up the Wolf's Blood?"
"It must be so."
Hudson pondered for a moment, turning over the evidence in his head. It would seem that no other chain of event would explain the meeting between the saboteur and the Eslandian merchants. And who else had a motive for the explosion? It really was all too convenient for the Eslandians...
Looking back at Sholmes, Hudson said triumphantly: "But why should the Eslandians knock Lorenzini on the head and prevent his escape? Haha!"
"Well, to ensure his prosecution, surely." Sholmes retorted dryly, taking down Hudson's mood significantly. "However, nothing points to that - as you may remember, they aided his escape. In fact, we know very well they were not behind the assault!"
"But..."
"May I remind you of our findings in Arlinsport?"
"Yeeeeeesssss?..." The doctor said, recollecting himself. "The drunken guard, you mean?"
"The drunken guard who told us of Pennington's agent indeed! Recount, please."
"I must have forgotten. An agent purportedly in Viscount Pennington's service is to have met with a mercenary." Hudson remembered. "A mercenary which was to go to Malto to thwart Consul Montoya's efforts with any means possible, I believe."
"Indeed - and what better way than to assault Lorenzini, the uniting figure of the populace? It could easily have led to unrest, and discontent with the negotiations, undermining Montoya. And further, it was likely to lead to Lorenzini being incarcerated and prosecuted by the Eslandians, another stain on Montoya's name. And all this while appointing Captain Mesabi, a known thorn in the side of the Consul, count."
Hudson frowned once more, rubbing his forehead. This was more complex than he cared for. "But what about the group of Priests and Monks we found to have been conspiring in Breshaun...It was my theory that they were hiring a saboteur?"
"Our sources could never confirm any of this, you might remember." Sholmes interjected. "But consider the escape and capture of the Lorenzini impersonator. Does it not strike you as rather remarkable how swiftly the impersonator was apprehended? There is no concievable way the Consul's letter could possibly have reached Oleander authorities in time of the capture..."
"However, as you may remember, he WAS captured!"
"So he was - it was almost as if it was planned in advance..."
"Now, Sholmes... You are certainly contradicting yourself..."
"Imagine this: The Order of the Faith, or elements within, wishes to confound and confuse Corlander and Eslandian relations. Afterall, Corrington and Eslandola at conflict, perhaps even war, might be construed as advantageous to Olean interests." Sholmes explained. "Giving the impression of 'rescueing' Lorenzini and then having him 'disappear', while in fact abducting and torturing him for information about Corlander plans and strategies, would serve that purpose wonderfully."
"Another case of convenient coincidence, perhaps?"
"Convenient coincidence, indeed, Hudson, particularly when the Consul's letter arrived. Certainly, as it arrived they already knew that the man was not Lorenzini, having tortured him. But now they had an excuse and could publicly admit to having captured the man."
"But who was he, then?"
"We cannot know. But they claim he has admitted to be the saboteur, which is by no means implausible."
"You have got me quite confounded, Sholmes. Care to explain again?"
"Certainly. Eslandian merchants arranged the explosion on the Wolf's Blood to give Eslandian troops an excuse to enter the city. Shortly afterwards, Viscount Pennington's agent attacked Lorenzini, and appointed Mesabi Count, to sabotage Consul Montoya's efforts and sow discontent in the city. And then, the Order of the Faith lifted a man thought to be Lorenzini off the island, tortured him, and used the Consul's letter as a convenient explanation for their torture."
"And you are quite certain this is what transpired?" Hudson asked sceptically.
"Elementary, my dear Hudson. There is no other possibly explanation."
"Although unlikely..."
"When you have excluded the impossible, what ever is left, no matter how...." Sholmes said, before being interrupted by Hudson finishing the sentence in a slightly irritated tone: "...no matter how implausible, must be the truth... I know, I know!"
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Ended up being longer than I had planned, but it was fun to build - sorry for the wall of text - C&C is, as always welcome. :)
I would like to donate the Temple build (a small cultural, Breshaun) to the Order of the Faith ( @Phred?), while the Arlinsport city gate will be licensed by Arlinsport.

In a silent corner of the Library of Fuerte Unido:
Pay extra just so we can license more vessels? We are already spending way too much on keeping them afloat! And who are we even paying here? I control the Eslandolan fleet! Are we throwing the gold into the ocean to pay someone we don't even know?
...Well, I suppose that is probably what we'll have to do. It seemed a little weird the DBs and PIPs just disappear from the game while upgrading shiplevels
OOC: This build is for raising the shiplevels for myself to 35, and the second one further down to increase MAESTRO's shiplevels to 25.

Here is my contribution to Brickwall Memorial Park!
Located as it is, in the port city of Fuerte Unido, the park offers a wonderful view of the Fuerte Unido lighthouse, known among residents as the Seaweed Point Lighthouse, or just "The Seaweed," when they're talking fast. This name, of course, comes from the strange orange seaweed that can be found on the lighthouse rock and the rocky beaches near it during certain seasons of the year.
Not only is the strange seaweed and the lighthouse itself an attraction, but an ancient gnarled tree, somehow finding sustenance on the rocky beach itself, has proved a marvel to many visitors.
This area of the park is rather retired and therefore often solitary; but it's not unlikely to become a prime spot in the years to come, considering the excellent view it has to offer.
The full build:
This would have been fun to build, if I hadn't left it for such a last minute. But I couldn't help it, my rock pieces were tied up until just yesterday. Trying out the orange for seaweed was enjoyable nonetheless, I took inspiration for it and the lighthouse itself from the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse in Argentina. And I found some random pictures of trees growing out of rocks, so that isn't such an imaginative stretch. C&C welcome!

The Council Hall and Courthouse of Fuerte Unido, designed by Victor Servadac and funded by the White Glove Order, drew inspiration from a building Servadac had passed in his youth on mainland Eslandola. It is part of the Royal Collaboration - Brickwall Memorial Park.
Its width and height was a challenge to the builders, but Eslandolan craftmanship had proven to be creative in its ways.
Brickwork played a major part in the facade.
And the entrance was moderately decorated. Fitting for Eslandolans, who were well known for their modesty.
The foyer has a bookcase (mostly accounting and law books, but new history books are being printed), and a cabinet for welcome drinks of different sorts.
Today several prominent citizens of Eslandola have gathered to wait for Marquis Alkurda to get to the toast, so they can celebrate and start the feast. Old shipping crates serves as podium for the speaker. There are three reasons for this. First it is a symbol of our deep roots in trade. Second, it is a humbling experience for the speaker. And third, they are free and easily replaceable. The factory window on the south wall let in a lot of light, to keep candle costs down.
Going up the stairway,
You get a birds eye view on the placement of the council chairs, facing each other in order to create more lively debates. The idea here is that opposing arguments will add more views, so decisions can be made on a better foundation.
Upstairs is a room sparsely decorated, where council members can retreat to take a break in the somewhat uncomfortable couch (so they don't take too long breaks), and a desk for letter writing.
The statues on the west wing are dedicated to the writers that have accurately recorded Operation KMA, the Eslandola-Mardier war, and forever secured the Brickwall family name in the annals of history. And to an old deluded man with a stick and bone.
All C&C welcome.

Really not much to say here. My small contribution to the Brickwall Memorial Park. Sorry for the delay of the post, I misinterpreted my fellow Eslandolans posting process and thought we wouldn't hvae separate threads. Pic has been up on flickr for quite a few days. :-)

The war with Mardier had been costly, but Eslandolan perseverance was rewarded with victory. The cost had been extremely high, however, especially for the Brickwall family, whose many members were the (fallen) heroes of several battles. To commemorate the sacrifice of the Brickwalls and the cooperative effort of all the trade companies, several prominent citizens and merchant families have collaborated on a royal park in Fuerte Unido, Eslandola's seat of government on Isla de Victoria. The city itself stands as a testament to the new unified Eslandola. From here they would ring the message of freedom, prosperity, and cultural exchange. The bells echo from the mountains, and messengers have been sent to all the settlements in the colonies that the next session of the Colonial Council would be held here.
Included in Brickwall Memorial Park are:
-The memorial gates, serving as the entrance to the park and the Avenue of the Brickwalls
-The council hall / courthouse, where the Colonial Council will meet
-The bell tower, with city administrative offices
-The flower garden, where soldiers returning from war can stroll with their girlfriends
-The greenhouses, with all the varieties of citrus trees that populate the island's southern coast
-The lighthouse, that beams its light towards the path forward
-The tropical garden, a place to study the wildlife and exotic plants of Isla Victoria
- The Crystal Caves, where you can experience serenity, while you marvel at natures wonders.
Links will be added as the different builds get posted.

Sour Prospects have indeed turned sour and revealed nothing but some solid stones for construction works. Fontonajo's
men have set up a stone quarry and are now supplying Fuerte Unido on Isla de Victori.
My very first attempt at LDD...

The first phase of Operation KMA was coming to an end, and it had been a complete success. Eslandolan forces had established a strong presence on Isla de Victoria, preventing Mardier from occupying the island first. The settlement of Fuerte Unido had settlers from all three trade companies and was already a sizable town. And now Capitan Alonzo could relax, if just for a moment, and recognize the job of his troops in finishing so quickly the construction of the actual fort that gives Fuerte Unido its name.
They had started with the barracks, but were able to quickly build a fully enclosed compound, with a sizable blockhouse at one end and two small round bastions at the corners flanking the entrance to the fort.
Yes, the fort was triangular, the three sides representing Eslandola's three trade companies.
The men were already falling into the routine of life in the fort. Wall sentries watched intently for any Mardier incursion.
Alonzo and Felipe, his second in command, reviewed one of the platoons.
With the fort functional and the town protected, Operation KMA could now move on to its next phase.
* * *
Additional pics:
As always, all C & C welcome!

"Get up, you sluggard! Eating lemons ain't what Fontonajo's payin' you for!", shouted the geologist.
Prospecting on Isla de Victoria, near the settlement of Fuerte Unido, wasn't an easy task. The geologists were always
in company of a guard. The fear of running into some random Mardierian squad was too high.
They were looking for minerals. Iron, gold, silver. Anything, actually, that they could find. And if they didn't find anything,
they might at least use the stones for their forts. If they found any adequate stones. Geology wasn't easy those days. It
never was, actually.
Island #: 11 Claimed by MardierNickname: Skaford HeightsGeographical Features: Mostly jungle on the inside, this larger island boasts an excellent natural bay on its south side at the Island's thinnest point. The north-east coast, however is very shallow, and rife with sandbars. The south-west coasts are rocky, but host naturally occurring groves of citrus fruit. In the center of the island towers a tall volcano that occasionally shakes the Island.Rumors: The Natives of this Island fear the deeper waters to the south. While they are more than happy to sail their catamarans in the northern shallow water, they refuse to do so on the southern coast.

Operation KMA was going well. Eslandolan forces landed on Isla de Victoria with no resistance, and Capitan Alonzo and his men had found an excellent location on the large bay on the south side of the island. Construction of a fort commenced in earnest on a flat hilltop overlooking the bay. “This will be a strong gun position” thought Alonzo, “and should protect the settlement and anchorage and command the bay.” Alonzo's second-in-command had nothing but good news in his afternoon report.
Troops were cutting down trees all over the place, even still clearing the land for the fort.
One palisade wall was up, and the troops were already busy digging the holes for the next wall.
Work had not yet begun on the corner bastion, but the cannon was still useful in its current position.
The men would be happy that the barracks were finally finished (just finishing up with a coat of whitewash), so his men would not have to camp in tents tonight.
Things were progressing quickly, and morale was high. Capitan Alonzo was certain the fort would be completed in record time.

The "Eagles of Terreli" are some of Eslandola's finest soldiers in the colonies. The group of mercenaries, despite their very individual
arms (some of them wear old-fashioned weapons like shields, axes or even a bow), show a high level of discipline. Their creativity,
motivation and especially their individuality, resulting in a large variety of unique skills, makes them perfectly suited for the small
conflicts on the islands. Thus they were sent to protect Eslandola's claims on Isla de Victoria.
Just a few hours ago they had attacked a company of Mardierians by surprise and captured their flag.
Which they were no about to burn. The Eagles of Terreli always had a huge level of amusement, resulting
in great comraderie.
The had also captured some goodies. In fact, they had taken two oxen, some bread, apples and bananas
and carrots. And a rowing boat. And some wheels and some yellow leather. Combining those materials
they quickly crafted a rowboat-carriage, towed by an ox. One of them rode the other ox. Obvious solution,
of course.
Right now they made halt at one of their outposts, a small watchtower. The eagles who were on watch
there were also responsible for hunting, so supply Fuerte Unido with meat. Which they did with some
great success.
Burning a Mardierian flag is always great fun. Always.

Jorge Ilabro Estèz, a well-tanned man in his fourties, and his wife Fratella had run their farm on Nellisa for well over ten years. Due to their regular trading relationships Fontonajo knew the two well as both eager and fearless loyal Eslandolans. Even more so, Jorge had always proven to be innovative and well-though-out.
They seemed like exactly what was needed on Isla de Victoria, and thus Román Fontonajo had decided to invite them to the ship he had sent to the new island. Jorge had taken Fontonajo's generous offer and agreed upon setting up a farm.
But Jorge knew that more than some crops were needed to survive against Mardier. He had found a great spot at the northwestern end of Campo Nuevo, Fuerte Unido or whatever people might call the settlement (he had thought of calling it Campo Fontonajo just for the fun of it, but decided against it and chose to go for one of the now popular anti-royal-jokes: Camp of the sleeping August, which seemed even more funny because most of them had gotten their orders in August. Most other villagers had laughed).
At the spot he had chosen the terrain began to become slightly rocky. There was some kind of circular structure in the rocks that lay a bit deeper than the rest. With the help of some stonemasons he extended it to a real moat, and the stones were brought to the towncentre. The moat was then filled with salty water (quite an effort to get it there initially, but now a bucket or two per day were enough to keep it filled) and some fish the Tentocaxclans had caught alive. And voila, they had a fishing pond. For bad times, or when they just couldn't sail the seas for some reason.
He decided to add a small palisade that served two purposes: It was both defensive structure and outer border of the flower beds. Flower beds, where they planted tomatoes, carrots, eggplants, pumpkins, lettuce and some herbs that didn't grow naturally on the island.
Speaking of tomatoes, they also grew from the middle floor of the small watchtower he had added to his farm. Below the watchtower in the shadow the pig Fernando VII (yes, another rather uncreative name, but it created laughter nonetheless) wallowed in the mud. The watchtower was usually manned by one of the soldiers (today it was a man who just called himself "el mejor Capitán").
The farm als had some goats, chickens, a barrel to store rainwater and of course a hut to sleep. It also had two small cannons. Of course it had. Just in case...
Due to the community-nature of Campo Unido other villagers often came by to bring some goods (e.g. grain for the chickens, or some seeds they had found, or just some food remainders to feed pig Fernando VII) or just transport the harvest of the day to the village, where people usually came together to have diner. Today they planned to have a great pumkin-carrot-soup with some fresh caught fish. Spiced with herbs, of course. Jorge and Fratella did their job to contribute to the meal. As always.